RED BLUFF &GT;&GT; About a week after the Tehama District Fairground board of directors traced a sobering financial picture of the fairgrounds, community leaders gathered to share their ideas about how to make the fairgrounds viable in the long term.

On Wednesday, about 40 stakeholders in the fairgrounds with a combined 991 years of experience with the facilities between them, including Fair board directors and organizers of major events such as the Red Bluff Round-Up, the Tehama District Jr. Livestock Auction and the West Coast Monster Truck Nationals, developed ideas keep the fairgrounds sustainable going forward.

The session, facilitated by Becky Bailey-Findley, former CEO at the Orange County Fair, at the fairgrounds was meant to develop a long-term plan that will keep the community involved in the future of the fairgrounds, which directors said requires new sources of revenue.

“We’ve had some trying times,” said Pete Dagorret, a Fair board director for six years who said he’s been connected to the fairgrounds for 55 years. “And you don’t appreciate the good times unless you’ve had trying times.”

At the Fair board’s previous meeting July 15, directors said that for years, the fairgrounds had been living beyond its means. In 2013, it’s projected that the fairgrounds posted a loss of $105,982.

The stakeholders group, which included Tehama County officials such as Chief Administrator Bill Goodwin, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Gurrola and Deputy Superintendent of Education Charles Allen, agreed that a lack of marketing, promotion and focus has been detrimental to the fairgrounds.

The fairgrounds competes with venues such as the Equestrian Center at Rollin Hills Casino in Corning to attract and keep events, and stakeholders said fairground management should more effectively communicate and follow up with event organizers.

Stakeholders were quick to note the financial struggles of the fairgrounds, and quickly moved past the fact, looking for ways to keep the fairgrounds going.

Steve Kimbrough, interim CEO at the fairgrounds, said the lack of funds has forced staff to become creative and that community volunteerism had been a strength throughout the years.

Others said the fairgrounds’ location between Redding and Chico, access and space are points that work in its favor. But they added that facilities could be upgraded and the county’s agricultural community should be better represented.

Director Greg O’Sullivan said the stakeholders meeting was an opportunity to change the way the fairgrounds has done business in the past.

Andre Byik is the public safety reporter for the Chico Enterprise-Record, where he covers crime, courts and breaking news. A Chico State University graduate, he has worked at daily newspapers since 2012.